There’s something beautifully unhinged about Jack Xander. The Los Angeles-based music and art maker has made a name for himself not just through his genre-warping sound, but for his borderline uncontainable energy—especially on stage. His shows feel like punk-rock circuses with synths: raw, chaotic, and wildly entertaining. But underneath all that noise and mayhem, there’s an oddly sincere heart. His newest single, “Drug Free Nation,” is a perfect example of that duality—campy and clever, but also aching and honest.
It all started, appropriately, in motion—on a Tube ride through London with his girlfriend, Jade. Somewhere between political banter and the hum of the underground, the line “drug free drug free nation” floated into their heads. It was cheeky. It was weird. But it sounded like a song. They recorded the idea on a phone right then and there, a spark caught mid-conversation. When they got back, Jack built a beat to match the phrase’s rhythm and energy, handing it off to his brother Alfie, who added the hook that pulls everything together: “your love is like a drug to me.”
That’s where things really start to click. Suddenly, this playfully absurd phrase becomes a metaphor for heartbreak—if love is the drug, then a “drug free nation” is a place where love no longer exists. It’s a bleak and strangely poetic idea, but Jack doesn’t dwell in sadness. Instead, he wraps the concept in funk guitars, campy ’80s percussion, and hyperpop aesthetics. It’s sad-boy lyricism trapped inside a funhouse mirror: glittery, danceable, and deeply self-aware.
To take it even further, Jack handed the track to experimental EDM producer Maxwellbean, who took the song’s skeleton and pushed it onto the dance floor. With looped verses and extra kicks, the final version is a club-ready bop that toes the line between chaos and euphoria. And somehow, despite all the sonic layering and polished mixing, it still carries Jack’s original fingerprint—that sense of spontaneity and playful madness.
“Drug Free Nation” is the kind of track that gets stuck in your head for all the right reasons. It’s clever, addictive, and makes you feel like you’re in on the joke, even while you’re dancing through a low-key emotional spiral. Jack Xander’s ability to turn half-baked thoughts into fully formed immersive experiences is what sets him apart. He’s not just making music—he’s building worlds. And in this one, love is outlawed, but the party never stops.
Socials
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackxander.zip/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPelJKf5nLx3Mb09gLjrNKw